Chapter 31: Overcoming the Obstacles and Breaking the Barriers

I was born and raised as an only child to my mother in Galveston, Texas. I had many struggles academically as I progressed through school. My mother a well-educated professional woman, was constantly looking for ways to improve my reading comprehension and mathematical skills, but her efforts were met with little improvement and results. Teachers requested to retain me, because I showed a lack of improvement in regards to state standardized testing. My mother would refuse to retain me, because she felt that I was not motivated and just refused to apply myself. Therefore, summer school and my mother’s summer workbooks were endless. I was repeatedly chastised for simply confusing the letter “P” and the number “9,” the letters “b” and “d,” even confusing nickels and dimes.